Top 25 Performances of 2012 – New Year’s Countdown – #19
American Idol · The X Factor
At #19 is Chris Mann with “Ave Maria”! Niche artists often have trouble on shows like this, but when the singing competition you’re duking it out on is called The Voice, how could Chris Mann, endowed with the voice of operatic bro-angel, not do well? I mean, that is a voice. He was never more in the zone than he was performing straight up opera. Although, I will admit that Christina’s attempts as his coach to fuze pop with opera were very fun and translated well to Chris’ debut single “Roads”!
What I loved most about Chris was that his classical training and vocal style never got in the way of his personality. I enjoyed watching him pal around with the likes of Lindsey Pavao backstage while Christina Milian bumbled through her “conversations” at the forefront. Thus, I found his performances even more entertaining. He always seemed like an all-around  great guy. I found myself rooting for Chris to pull through, at least somewhat well, during the finale, if only to topple Tony Lucca following the whole “99 Problems”/ Adam vs. Xtina debacle. Yet, drama seemed to override talent, extinguishing Mann at 4th place.
Chris’ debut album “Roads” was released on Universal Republic Records this October, and hopefully, it will end up being a great success for the kind-hearted crooner who easily transitioned from polished opera star in the making on “Ave Maria” to lovable best Mann man at your bachelor party belting out “Viva La Vida” on stage at a Vegas club. I mean that as a compliment regarding his versatility, by the way. I just found him very funny. Studio recordings of “Ave Maria” and “Viva La Vida” are available on his debut, as well. Check it out on iTunes.
Chris Mann’s performance of “Ave Maria” is unavailable for embedding, but you can view it Here.
If you’re interested in how this countdown works, check out the original post Here!
